Knockdown barrel



G- A. LE FEVRE. KNOCKDOWN BARREL.

Patented May 23, 1922.

UNlTF. 5TATS GEORGE A. LE FEVRE, 0F RICHMOND HILL, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BAXFLAT BARREL 85 CRATE CORPORATION, OF NEVI YORK, N. 1 A CORPORATION 01E NEW YORK.

KNOCKDGWN BARREL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented ftjfay 23 1922 Application filed August 14, 1920. Serial No. 403,468.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. GEOR E Ln Ferric, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond Hill, Queens County. New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Knockdown Barrels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in barrels and other containers, and particularly to knock-clown barrels of the type in which. the barrel can be laid out flat with its staves and hoops connected, then rolled up around the heads and the hoop ends fastened together to make a package ready for use. The object of my invention is to produce a very simple and inexpensive structure of this kind which is also exceedingly strong. If barrels without a bilge have the staves fastened together edge to edge, the staves are likely to slip endwise with rela tion to each other so that the barrel is apt to rack and get out of shape. To obviate this difiiculty 1. construct the stave edges so that they will interlock, and preferably construct them so that they will interlock on the inner sides, but the outer sides will meet edge to edge at all times, so that the barrel eXteriorly will look like any close barrel or package, but insidethe' parts by reason of their interlocking, cannot slip, and thus a very strong package is made which has almost the same strength as if mad-2. from a single piece of wood. My invention is also intended to connect the staves by hoops which slide with relation to the staves, so that there will be no strain on the hoop fastenings, and the hoops can be moved longitudinally. and the ends fastened to gether as desired. All of which will be more clearly understood from the description which follows.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference charac ters indicate corresponding parts in all the VIEWS,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a barrel embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a broken enlarged inside view showing a pair of connected staves and the manner in which they interlock.

Figure 3 is a broken plan or end view showing a pair of staves connected but ly' ing straight so that they do not interlock,

Figure r is a view similar to liigure 3 but with the hoops bent and the staves arranged to assume the position they would in the barrel whenset up.

Figure is a broken outside view of the barrel body when laid flat, and

Figure 6 is a broken inside view of the barrel body when laid flat.

The barrel is made without the bilge, and the body comprises a series of parallel staves 10 which are adapted to meet edge to edge as usual in such structures, and I have shown them provided with the customary croze groove 11 so that any usual or suitable head can be placed in the groove. At desired intervals the staves are provided with staples 12, which align transversely so that the hoops 13 which should be of metal can be run through the staples, or the staples can be driven in over thehoops as desired. Obviously there can be as many transverse rows of staples, and as many hoops used as necessity may require. The hoops are his: toned together at the ends when the barrel is set up as shown at 1 1-, but this fastening is not shown in detail as it forms no part of the present invention, and any suitable fastening can be used.

Each stave is provided on its inner side and edges with notches 15 which are spaced apart so that a flushor straight portion 16 will lie between the notches. and the part 19 and notches 15 should be of the same length, and by referenceto liigure 2 it will be seen that the flush part 16 of one stave comes opposite the notched part 15 on the opposite edge of the same stave. In other words, on the two edges the notched and flush portions 16 are staggered, and as every stave is similarly made, the parts 16 and 15 of meeting staves will always register without regard to which end of the stave is placed uppermost.

hen the staves are laid out flat edge to to edge with the hoops connected therethrough as in Figure 3. it will be seen that the parts 16 and 15 will not interlock, as the staves will be perfectly parallel and on the same plane; but when the staves are rolled up around the head. the hoops 13 bend to the curve of the barrel, and the staves can swing inward with. relation to each other so that the members 16 of one stave will enter the notches 15 of the next adjacent stave, as clearly shown in Figure 6, and

thus the staves will all be interlocked so that they can have no endwise movement except as a whole.

It will be noticed that by having the notches 15 on the inner edge of the staves, the barrel is kept tight, as the outer edges of the staves meet edge to edge, and furthermore, the appearance of the barrel is very much better, as obviously the parts 15 and 16 do not show at the outside, (see Figures 1 and 5).

It will be understood, of course, that the size and shape of the parts 15 and 16 is not material, the essential thing being to have the parts interlock, and. while the notches 15 might be cut through to the outer side, this is not so desirable, and, the resulting package is not so good for use nor of such good ap pearance.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have devised an exceedingly simple and strong package which can be shipped fiat and easily rolled up into position for use around its heads. It will also be understood that if desired. the staves can be shipped separately from the hoops, and the hoops then run through the staples of the staves. It will also be noticed that the staves must be substantially flat, as if they are curved and notched as shown, the notched parts would not interlock when the barrel was put into cylindrical shape: but when the staves are substantially flat, they lie flat when laid out, and when rolled into curved form the inner edges interlock. I am aware that barrels have been made with tongue and groove connections between the slats, but this is not interlocking, and does not serve the purpose of uniting the staves so that they will not slip endwise with relation to each other.

I claim 1. A knock-clown barrel having essentially flat staves with meeting edges in substantial contact at all times at the outer faces of the staves, and with transversely coacting complementary members at the inner corners of the staves which are out of engagement when the barrel is flat. but which engage when the barrel is set up in arc form to prevent endwise movement of the staves.

2. A structure of the kind described comprising staves adapted to be positioned in angular relation to each other and having mating edges in substantial contact at all times at the outer faces of the staves, said mating edges at the inner faces of the staves being provided with parts adapted to coact with each other when the staves are disposed. in such angular relation, whilemain taining such edges at the outer faces of the staves in substantial contact, said coacting parts operating to prevent the relative longitudinal movement of the staves.

3. A knock-down barrel having essentially flat staves with straight out-ercorners meeting edge to edge while the barrel is flat, and with their inner corners constructed to transversely interlock to prevent endwise movement of the staves when the barrel is set up.

4-. A barrel having its staves constructed to transversely interlock at their inner edges to prevent endwise movement of the staves when the barrel is set up, said staves having straight meeting edges at their outer corners.

A barrel having essentially flat staves with straight meeting edges at their outer corners, and with the inner corners of adjacent staves constructed to transversely in terlock when the barrel is set up to prevent endwise movement of the staves, and hoops detachably and slidablysecured to the outer parts of the staves.

6. A knock-clown barrel formed of essentially flat staves with straight meeting outer edges, said staves being constructed to transversely interlock at their inner corners to prevent endwise movement of the staves, staples on the outer sides of the staves, and hoops detachably secured to the staves and adapted to slide through the staples.

7. A knockdown barrel formed of staves which meet at their outer corners and have their inner corners notched, with the notches of adjacent staves in staggered relation, whereby when set up the projections of one stave will enter the notches of the next adjacent stave.

8. A knock-down barrel having essen tially flat parallel staves with straight outer corners meeting edge to edge and with their inner corners provided with notches having inclined walls, and with the notches of adja 1 cent stares in staggered relation so that the projections oi" one stave will enter the notches of the next.

GEORGE A. LE FEVRE.

Witnesses: 7

WARREN B. HUToHiNsoN, WARREN C. HU'roHINsoN.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 1,417,337, granted May 23, 1922, upon the application of George A. Le Fevre, of Richmond Hill, New York, for an improvement in Knockdown Barrels, was erroneously Written and printed as Baxflat Barrel & Crate Corporation, of New York, N. Y., a Corporation of New York, Whereas said name should have been Written and printed as Pawflat Barrel ci' Crate Corporation, of New York, N. Y., a Corpora- Zion of New Y 01%, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of June, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENN'ING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

